Night Hawk Medicine

*Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise:
Keynote: Diligence and persistence.
Primaries: blackish with a white bar and no rusty spots.
The nighthawk is not really a hawk or a bird of prey in the hawk or falcon family. It is actually a swisher, a member of the whip-poor-will family, of which
there are a number of varieties. I spoke of the swisher in my book Animal-Speak, but over the years so many have asked baout the nighthawk that I am including
a little more here. I strongly reommend reading and studying the information on the swisher in the previous work.

The nighthawk is a crepuscular bird, meaning that it is most ative at twilight where its form is recognizable as it is often seen sweeping by with stiff wings.
It is a diligent and persistent hunter of insects, and thus it teaches us to be the same. Nothing succeeds like persistence.

Among the Hopi, it was called "Rain Flopper" because it makes a sound during courtship that seemed to imitate thunder to them. It was a sacred bird
to have around, especially for newly made fields created to capture run-off. It was a sign of success and plenty.

When nighthawk appears, we need to ask ourselves some important questions. Are we turly going after what we seek? Are we persisting? If we wish the rains of
abundance in our lives, are we willing to do our part to bring them?

Animal-Speak/Swisher:
Keynote: Awakening to the Faerie Realm--Accomplishment For the Sake of Accomplishment
Cycle of Power: Dusk--Summer

This bird is often referred to as a nighthawk, but it is no hawk at all. It is a cousin to the whip-poor-will. It is a bird with a variegated plumage of white,
black, and buff, reflecting that intersection of night and day we call dusk.

Dusk is the time at which the swisher is most active. It is a time long associated with fairies, elves, and the awakening of spirits. The swisher is a bird of
the "Tween Time," and is often seen as a transport vehicle for those of the Faerie Realm.

The swisher is part of a group of birds that used to be called goatsuckers because of an age old belief that they sucked the milk of goats. This probably
originated with the folk ideas of mischievous elves and fairies who helped themselves to milk from goats and cows on farms near their homes.

Many misbehaviors and misfortunes were attributed to elves and fairies when there was no rational explanation. The souring of milk, the disappearance of
objects, and even the stealing of milk was attributed to them. Since swishers and other "goatsuckers" of European origin were active at dusk and
night (the time of elf and fairy activity), they were considered the vehicles of those of the Faerie Realm.

The swisher has a short bill and wide mouth. It hunts at dusk and it feeds on insects that are captured and eaten in flight. They are most conspicuous and
active at dusk and at night. This reflects much about those who have a swisher as a totem. They will often find themselves so active that they seem to live on
the run. It will be important for those who have a swisher come into their lives to pay attention to the "Tween Times--dawn, dusk, midnight, noon, all
times that are neither one or the other. These will be times of greatest inspiration and power. You will find yourself more effective in all of your
activities.

Unlike other nightjars or goatsuckers, the swisher is more often seen tha heard. Many people see them at night, but often don't realize what they are
seeing. Many see this again as a direct correspondence to fairies and elves, with them being around and not being noticed.

If a swisher has come into your life you may wish to examine aspects of your life activities. Are you feeling neglected? Are you neglecting or not honoring
important others in your life? Are you trying to get attention when you should be focusing on just accomplishing your tasks? Are you or others around you
forcing attention? Are you feeling caught in the middle and as if you are not accomplishing things? The swisher will teach you to do your life tasks, and to do
them well just for the sake of doing them, rather than for extaneous attention. It will teach you that there is no need to blow your own horn. When you do your
job well, others will do that for you.

The swisher builds no nest of its own. It lays its two eggs upon the bare ground. This in itself is highly signifiant. It needs no glamour. It sees the earth
as its nest, and it brings forth creative life. The two eggs also have symbolic significance for those who wish to explore the numerological correspondence.